Time Off to Vote?

With the election less than two weeks away, questions come up regarding whether employers are required to give employees time off of work to vote. Under Illinois’ Election Code, employees who are eligible voters are entitled to take up to two hours off work to vote. If an employee’s working hours begin less than two hours after the polls open and end less than two hours before the polls close, the employer must give the employee two hours off during working hours to vote. Employers may require the employee to give advance notice of the leave and may specify the time of day during which the employee may take the leave.

Other states have different requirements, and some do not require that employees be given time off to vote. If you have questions regarding any other state’s requirements, please contact your Franczek Radelet attorney.